Dear Editor,
We read the publication on “Neurocysticercosis (NCC) and HIV Infection: what can we learn from the published literature?” with great interest11. Herrera Vazquez O, Romo ML, Fleury A. Neurocysticercosis and HIV Infection: what can we learn from the published literature? Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2019 May 1;77(5):357-65. https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282x20190054
https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282x2019005...
. Herrera Vazquez et al. concluded that “Our review did not reveal clear interactions between HIV and NCC. This may be partially due to the small number of cases and reliance on published research11. Herrera Vazquez O, Romo ML, Fleury A. Neurocysticercosis and HIV Infection: what can we learn from the published literature? Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2019 May 1;77(5):357-65. https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282x20190054
https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282x2019005...
” We would like to share ideas on this publication. First, Herrera Vazquez et al. mentioned that they reviewed the literature and could recruit only 40 cases of patients co-infected with NCC and HIV. In fact, the two conditions are not extremely uncommon in tropical countries and co-infection is sporadically seen. In a recent report from Tanzania, among 170 local villagers with seropositive HIV, NCC was found in three patients22. Schmidt V, Kositz C, Herbinger KH, Carabin H, Ngowi B, Naman E, et al. Association between Taenia solium infection and HIV/AIDS in northern Tanzania: a matched cross sectional-study. Infect Dis Poverty. 2016 Dec 1;5(1):111. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-016-0209-7
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-016-0209-...
. In fact, there is another interesting publication from Brazil showing that “Conditions related to the nervous system were the most commonly associated causes of death when NCC was mentioned as an underlying cause, and HIV/AIDS was the main underlying cause when NCC was an associated cause33. Martins-Melo FR, Ramos AN Jr, Cavalcanti MG, Alencar CH, Heukelbach J. Reprint of “Neurocysticercosis-related mortality in Brazil, 2000-201 1: Epidemiology of a neglected neurologic cause of death”. Acta Trop. 2017 Jan;165:170-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.11.009
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.20...
”. Regarding the clinical manifestation, asymptomatic NCC is not uncommon among HIV infected cases33. Martins-Melo FR, Ramos AN Jr, Cavalcanti MG, Alencar CH, Heukelbach J. Reprint of “Neurocysticercosis-related mortality in Brazil, 2000-201 1: Epidemiology of a neglected neurologic cause of death”. Acta Trop. 2017 Jan;165:170-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.11.009
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.20...
. Some patients may have only subcutaneous parasitic cysts as the first presentation before further diagnosis of NCC44. Agaba E, Modi D, Gunduz 0, Modi Z. Subcutaneous nodules of cysticercosis as a sign of asymptomatic neurocysticercosis in an HIV positive patient. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2018 Nov-Dec;51(6):861-3. https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0178-2018
https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0178-2...
.
References
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1Herrera Vazquez O, Romo ML, Fleury A. Neurocysticercosis and HIV Infection: what can we learn from the published literature? Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2019 May 1;77(5):357-65. https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282x20190054
» https://doi.org/10.1590/0004-282x20190054 -
2Schmidt V, Kositz C, Herbinger KH, Carabin H, Ngowi B, Naman E, et al. Association between Taenia solium infection and HIV/AIDS in northern Tanzania: a matched cross sectional-study. Infect Dis Poverty. 2016 Dec 1;5(1):111. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-016-0209-7
» https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-016-0209-7 -
3Martins-Melo FR, Ramos AN Jr, Cavalcanti MG, Alencar CH, Heukelbach J. Reprint of “Neurocysticercosis-related mortality in Brazil, 2000-201 1: Epidemiology of a neglected neurologic cause of death”. Acta Trop. 2017 Jan;165:170-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.11.009
» https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.11.009 -
4Agaba E, Modi D, Gunduz 0, Modi Z. Subcutaneous nodules of cysticercosis as a sign of asymptomatic neurocysticercosis in an HIV positive patient. Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2018 Nov-Dec;51(6):861-3. https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0178-2018
» https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0178-2018
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
05 Dec 2019 -
Date of issue
Nov 2019
History
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Received
25 June 2019 -
Accepted
03 July 2019